Lewiston’s Clearwater Memorial Bridge Project Wins Regional Nod in America’s Transportation Awards

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The Clearwater Memorial Bridge project in Lewiston won a western regional America’s Transportation Award Wednesday, July 23, at the annual meeting of the Western Association of Transportation and Highway Officials (WASHTO) in Missoula, Montana. The project was recognized in the “Best Use of Technology & Innovation” category for using robotic arms to tie rebar.

The bridge, built in 1951, was rehabilitated and retrofitted to improve safety, functionality and economic opportunity in the region. An innovative use of technology was utilized on the bridge, with robotic arms used to tie the deck materials together. Using the robotic arms to do it greatly increased safety on the project and the work was done faster, allowing traffic to begin using the new bridge more quickly. Construction on the bridge began in 2023, with the bridge reaching substantial completion in late 2024 and reopening to traffic.

Robotic Arm
(Photo Courtesy of ITD)

ITD endorses and applauds the effective use of modern robotics in bridge-deck assembly. The agency embraces technology across all areas of construction that keeps crews safer by avoiding repetitive, back-breaking work. This innovation saved both time and money.

“The America’s Transportation Awards shine a spotlight on the vital projects state DOTs deliver for their communities to enhance safety, expand mobility for users, deliver a better quality of life for residents and visitors, and keep our economy moving,” said AASHTO Executive Director Jim Tymon. “The America’s Transportation Awards competition continues to show us that state DOTs are able to transform communities in a variety of ways. And as Congress works toward a new federal surface transportation bill, lawmakers need to only look at the tangible benefits that states deliver to their customers through examples like these winners to see why robust federal funding to states is so important.”

Additional regional competitions will continue throughout the summer. Once all regional winners are announced, the top three projects in each region will advance to the national Top 12 in early September. Those standouts will then compete for two national honors in the 2025 America’s Transportation Awards. The Grand Prize will be chosen by an independent panel of judges, while the People’s Choice Award will be decided through online public voting. AASHTO will reveal both winners at its annual meeting in November 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Each winning project will receive $10,000 to donate to a scholarship fund or charitable cause of their choice.

The project was one of 36 projects submitted by 13 western regional states. The America’s Transportation Awards highlight transportation projects that deliver long-term community benefits.

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